Motor-vehicle driving mechanism.



J. C. STURGEON..

MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVING MBCHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED 0012, 1913.

1,105,165. v Patented July 28,1914

' UNITED entras PATENT onirica.

i JOHN C. STURGEON, OF ERE,.IEENNSYLVANI.

MOTOR-VEHICLE DRIVING MECHANISM,

To all whom 'it 'may concern Be it known that I, JOHN C. 'ronenon, a citizenof the United States, residing at lErie, `in the county of Erie and State of ,Pennsyl`vania, have invented certain. new

and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicle Driving Mechanism; and 'l do hereby declare the following to be -a full, clear, and

exact description of thev invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and'use the same, re erence beingv had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ot reference marked thereon, forming part of this speci cation.

My invention relates` to motor-vehicles vwherein the motor operates the drivin .wheels of the vehicleat varylng speeds an under varying loads. ln'starting such vehicles, it is'notunusual for the operator to throw the clutch in suddenly, and thereby start the car with vmore or `less of a jerk, causing great and unnecessary strain upon l the mechanism, and in the usual operation ot motor-vehicles, at ordinary speeds on level roadsor pavements, a comparatively small amount of power is used, which is readily regulated by the normal manual adjustment of the mechanism; but when the vehicle is driven at .high speed, on bad roads, or up hill, much more power is needed, and an added supply of explosive mixture to the motor is required, which, under-such conditions, is usually su plied by the manual manipulation ofv additional valve controlling mechanism, requiring not only care on the part of the operator, but yfrequentlv causing considerable waste because 'of the excessive and unnecessary amount of mixture sufi plied to the motor by careless manipulation of the controlling mechanism. y

The objects of my .invention 'are to vel come these difficulties and to that endl provide a motor-vehicle, rst, with a yielding connection between the motor clutch and the differential gear, which may be adjusted tribe inoperative under the'ordinary load exerted in the lnormal operation of the vehicle, but which will yield suliiciently under thestress of Van increase of load, or of asudden strain,A .as lfor example, when the clutchisfsuddenly closed," to prevent a jerk` on the gear and wheels of the vehicle, andvwhich willl automatically return to its normal inoperative status as soon as sue-.zv excess j Specification of Letters '.atent.`

mechanism connecting such yielding connection between the motor clutch and the Patented July 28, 193.4, Application iled October 2, 1913- Serial No. 793,015.

'load or strain upon it ceases; second, withdi'erential gear with suitable valve mechanism for the control of explosive mixture supplied to the motor, automaticall, oper ating such valve mechanism, when t e load on the motor is raised above the normal load for which the yielding connection is adjusted, to increase the supply of mixture to the motor in proportion .to the increase ot'. the load thereon, and automatically oper-f ating such valve mechanism to decrease the supply of mixture to the motor, as the load. decreases,until it reaches the normal load,

when the mechanism ceases to be operated; `it being understood, however, that when the load upon the motor is at or below the normal, the supply of mixture to the motor is cont-rolled in the usual manner.

The features of my invention are hereinatterrfully set forth and explained, and illus# trated in the accompanying drawings, in-

Figure l, is a view in side elevation of a portion of a motor-vehicle driving-gear embodying my invention. Fig. 2, is an enlarged sectional detail of the clutch and 'yielding connection portion ofL the same.

Fig. 3, 1s a detail showing-partsthereof.

Fig. 4,- is a transverse section thereof on' the line fcin Fig.42, looking in the directionl of the arrow. Fig. 5, is a detail view oi a modified construction of the cammechanism between the spring supports.

In these drawings illustratin myinven-` it can oe'moved longitudinally thereon, and bring it into engagement with thelclutch member C', this movement being'controlled by means of the usualf clutch lever, a .part .whereof is indicated by c, engalgiula giov'e :0,9 in C25 'T' 'l member C', there is secured a sleeve H, having cam-shaped surfaces H', on the opposlte end thereof', (as clearly shown in Fig. 3) and is secured against endwise movement on the motor-shaft A, preferably bypmeans of a collar a', on the shaIt A', and an annular ring h, secured to the inner end portion of.

Y motor-shaft A', there is a longitudinally movable part I, secured against rotation on shaft D, by means of spline d, and provided with cam-surfaces I', (as clearly shown in Fig. 3) engaging with the cam-surfaces H', on thev sleeve H, (as illustrated in Fig. 2) so that when the part H, isrot'ated, it will operate to move the part I, longitudinally upon the shaft D, (as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2). On the part I, there is a sleeve portion I2, adapted to pass over the end of the sleeve H, and the ribs h', thereon, (as illustrated in Fig. 2) and through opposite sides of the sleeve portion I2, there are screw studs 1I, adapted to enga-ge the ribs h', on the sleeve H, (as Villustrated in Fig. 4) and limit the rotation of the sleeve H, and the part I, relatively to each other, as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

On the sleeve H, there is mounted a spiral spring J, having one end J', thereof secured to the clutch member C', and the opposlte end J2, thereof secured'to the part I, so that when the clutch member C', and the sleeve` H, are rotated vunder ordinary loads, the spring J, causes the part I, to rotate 1n unison therewith; but when an excessive load is 'placed upon the part I, the spring J, winds up, and in so doingl operates to rotate the sleeve H, upon the part I in Whichcase the cam-surfaces H', and I', operate to move the part I, longitudinally on the shaft D, until the parts H, and I, have rotated uponleach other far enough to bring the ribs h', on the part H, into contact with the set screws z', (as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4) when such rotation of the parts H, and I, upon' each other ceases, and when the excess load upon the part I, 1s relieved, the longitudinal tension of the spring J upon the parts H, and I, operates to rotate the parts H, and I, back to their normal positions (as illustrated in Figs.' 1 and 2). The tension of the springJ can regulated as desired by screwing baclr the screw studs i, so as to pa the ribs, h', when the parts.

H, and I, can berotated'upon leach other until the spring J, is brought to the desired tensionl and then they can be screwed in again until they engage the ribs h', as before.

In the hub of the part I, there is an al1-- nular groove i', in which the end of the the drivenshaft D, which is alined with the end of the lever L, operates; this lever L, being mountlvalve b, in the branch outlet B2, of the carbureter B, the valve b', in the other outlet branch B3, of the carbureter B, being operated by the ordinary manually actuated lever B', in the usual manner. The valve b, being normally closed at loads which do not act suiiciently upon the spring J, to rotate the parts H, and I, upon each other, but Whenthe load is suicient to rotate the parts H, and I, upon each other against the tension 'of the spring J, the part I is thereby moved longitudinally upon the shaft D.

`In Fig. 5, I show al modified construction of the cam mechanism between the -spring supporting sections H, and I.' In

sect-ion I, so that when rotated upon each,

other the section I, will move longitudinally upon the shaft D, the same as in the construction hereinbefore described. This movement of the section or part I, upon the shaft D, moves the lever L, and the link M, so as to openthe valve b, and supply additional mixture to the motor A; when, however, the load decreases to or below the normal tension of the spring J the springunwinds and thereby rotates the parts H and I, backward upon each other until they resume their normal posit-ions With relation to each other, and the part I, moving longitudinally back on the shaft D, operates the lever L, to close the valve b, leaving the motor`.to operate under the normal supply of mixture controlled by the valve thus the mixture supplied to the motor is automatically increased as the load' strain increases above the normal load, and decreased as the load strain decreases, until it again arrives at the normal load.

I have thus described convenient mechanism for utilizing my invention, but I do not confine myself to the particular form and arrangement of mechanism hereinbefore illustrated and described, as it is obvious that many changes both inform and v arrangement of parts, may be made -Without a motor vehicle, of two shafts, clutch memshaft, substantially as set forth. 4. The combination. in-a motor vehicle i driving gear, of a motor shaft, -a clutch thereon, a driven shaft in alinement with` said motor shaft, a spring support thereom: and a spring connectin one of the clutch members with the spring support on the driven shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in a motor vehicle driving gear, of a motor shaft, a clutch thereon', a driven shaft in alinement With said motor shaft, a spring support thereon, and a helical springv connected at one end to one of said clutch members, and at the other With-the spring support on said driven shaft, substantially as set forth. y

6. rllhe combination in a motor vehicle driving-gear, of a motor-shaft, clutch members mounted thereon, a spring supporting member secured to one vof said clutch mem# bers, a driven shaft, a spring supporting member mounted thereon, engaging camsurfaces between said spring supporting members, and a spring, one end of which 'is secured to the spring support of said clutch member and the other to the spring su port-k ing member on the driven shaft, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination in 'a motor vehicle driving gear, of a motor-shaft, clutch members mounted thereon, a spring supporting sleeve on one of said clutch members longitudinally non-movable on said shaft, camsurfaces thereon, a driven shaft, a spring supporting member mounted thereon, mechf anism thereon engaging the cam-surfaces on;

said sleeve, and a spring having one end secured to said sleeve, and its other end secured to the spring supporting member, on the driven shaft, substantially as set forth'.

8. rIfhe combination' in a motor vehicle driving-gear, ofa motor-shaft, clutch inem-f 'bers mounted thereon, a sleeve on one of said clutch members longitudinally non-movable 'on said shaft, cam-surfaces on one end of said sleeve, longitudinal ribs on the periphl ery of the end of said sleeve, a driven shaft,

a spring supporting member-mounted thereon, and adapted to embrace the end of said sleeve and the ribs thereon, cam-surfaces on said spring supporting member engaging the cam-surfaces on said sleeve, a spring having one end secured to said sleeve, and the other to saidspring supporting member, 'andrelmovable vstuds in said spring 'supporting member engaging the ribs on' said sleeve,'and i limiting` the rotation of said parts uponeach other, substantially as set forth.'

9. in a motorl vehicle driving geanthe` i combination of a, motor, valve mechanism' for controlling the 'motor, a driven shaitt, a v

clutch on the motor shafaa-.sliding collar on the driven shaft, a spring-connecting one of the clutch 'members With the sliding collar on the driven shaft, and mechanism ,connecting-said sliding collar-,With the'valve mechanism controlling the motor, substantially as set forth.

f-ii e niet@ vehicle, the @Qmbinetion Vof a motor, a carbureter valve mechanism thereon, a clutch on the motor shaft, a cam mechanismconnected therewith and actuated' thereby, a driving shaft, a slidablev sleeve thereon engaging said cam mechanism, a spiin connecting said clutch and said sliding s eeve, and mechanism operatively connecting said sliding sleeve with said carbureter valve mechanism, substantially as setforth.

l1. The combination in amotor vehicle, of a shaft, clutch members thereon, a spring support connect/ed With one of said clutch members, a shaft adapted to be driven by said clutch shaft, a springsupport slidably mounted thereon, a cam-surface on one of said spring supporting members engaging the other, lever and link mechanism connecting said slidable spring support member With carbureter valve operating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

l2. The combination in a motor vehicle, of i thereon, a spring supporting member on one of said clutch members, cam-surfaces on said a motor-shaft, clutch members mounted I its on engaging the cam-surfaces on the other spring supporting member, a spring connecting said spring supporting vmembers and lever and link mechanism connecting sind slidable spi/ing support Withcarbureter valve operating mechanism, `substantially as set forth. v

13. The combination almotor vehicle, of

a motor, a carbureter therefor, clutchniemiis bers mounted on the'motor-shaft of said inotor, va spring supporting sleeve connected faces on said'sleeve, a shaft adapted to be driven by the motor-shaft, a springsupport slidably mounted thereon, mechanism thereon engaging. the cam-surfaces on said sleeve,

-With one ofsaid clutch members, cam-sura spring Iconnecting said sleeve with said sliding sprin support, means for adjusting ythe tension o `said spring, and lever and link mechanism connecting said slidable spring" support with the valve operating mechanismv of said 'carbureter,v substantially as set forth.

`11i. The combination in a motor vehicle, ofi

a motor, a carbureter therefor having twol outlets leading to the motor, valves in each of said outlets, clutch members on the motorshaft, a vsprin supporting member connect^ ed with one o the clutch members, cam-surfaces on said sprirgg supporting member, a

shaft adapted to be drlven by the motorshaft, a spring support slidably mounted on said driver-shaft, cam-surfaces on said slidyer and link mechanism operatively connectlng said slidable spring support 'with valve v"nperating mechanism controllingone of the 15 outlets of said carbureter, substantially as set forth. A

In testimony whereof I aix my signature, in presence of two witnesses..

JOHN c. STURGEON.

Witnesses E. E. Mms,- P. V. Gmonn. 

